Control valve



c DE GANAHL 2,259,439

CONTROL YALVE Filed Feb. 16, 1938 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

6375-2 psima/az,

ATTORNEY.

C. DE GANAHL CONTROL VALVE Oct. 21, 1941.

' 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Feb. 16. 1938 1 \r A M k MW mm Oct. 21, 1941. c, E GANAHIL CONTROL VALVE 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Feb. 16, 1938 %2Zy/3.

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W/NG Fla s ATTORNEY system is built up during and compact assemblies,

1 the instant description, number of hydraulically controlled and actuated single aircraft, which re- Patented on. 21, 1941 UNITED STATE azsam CONTROL VALVE CarldeGanahLBrbtoLl'a or,by1neene aasignmentatoneeonstraetfignauceoorpo ration Application February 16, 1938, Serial scum (01. 211-59) This invention relates to control valves.

There are many situations in which one or more hydraulically actuated mechanisms or agencies are to be controlled from a single source of fluid pressure or hydraulic power. Usually in the past they have relied upon the continued existence of high pressure in the hydraulic lines and in practically every known case have involved the use of a multiplicity of individual valves, of the globe type for instance, which necessitates, if not a plurality of operators, at least a plurality of disconnected valve actuations at spaced points. One of the supposedly more advanced and refined systems 'involves thesetting of one or; two valves and then th holding open by manual pressure of a valve against which the full fluid pressure in the a long interval. Inconvenient and ineflicient as all of these assemblies and practices are in ordinary situations, it will be evident that in smallspaces the spreading out of craft, a retractible landing gear has two alternative controlled situations to be eflected, in

i which the gear is either extended, then locked in the necessary number of valves is physically out of .the question. In situations where the operator is busily engaged in evident that prolonged attention cannot be given to operating those prior assemblies requiring such attention, and the systems are therefore impracticable, and the full benefit of hydraulic power systems cannot be realised. I a

A situation of small space, necessity for light and a continuously en-. gaged operator unable to merely sporadic moments to the control of any 7 hydraulically actuated mechanism is found in air-,

craft, as an illustrative example. Similar necessities exist'in various military and naval agencies,

submarines, for example. illustrative, as is done in it will be clear that a such as tanks and Using aircraft as purely devices'm'ay exist in a quires the continuous presence of a source of hydraulic power so thatactuation of a selected agency can cision to actuate it, the several agencies each require the ability to lock same against the passage of fluid in either pressure or exhaust, and each must be selectively energizable without reference to a necessary sequenceof steps or order of actuation. That is manna, illustratively, any given device must be actuatable without reference necessarily to vmether or not some other device has first been actuated. Furthermore each device, as a general rule, has both a positive and negative in or out or, two directional actuation and control, so to speak. Illustratively,

other operations, it will be pursuant to which devote more time than ple control 40 poses; to provide begin instantaneously with the deextension,

several functions of hydraulic landing gears.

similarly other devices are susceptible to similar controlling functions, such, for instance, as wing flaps. bomb racks, osclllatable motor mounts for controlling the direction of the slip stream or other purposes, tall wheels or skids, wing tip floats, tail or arresting hooks, etc.

It is among the objects of this invention: to provide a. multiple control valve by which selectively by a single manual manipulation a desired device is energized to a maximum hydraulic pressure without additional manipulations or attention by the operator; to provide a hydraulic system in which a low pressure hydraulic circuit is rendered available constantly for the rapid energization and build-up of suitable high pressures in a selected mechanism without continuous attention from the operator; to provide a single control means by which a desired mechanism is energized until the pressure actuates a signal the operator at his convenience'actuates the singlecontrol to simultaneously lock the actuated device while permitting the circuit to return to low pressure circulation; to improvethe art of valves; to provide a multivalve of extreme compactness and simplicity; to provide a control valve and system of extreme simplicity and lightness of weight with high emciency for aircraft; to provide a hydraulic system of improvggfunctioning for general purobjects and advantages as will and many other.

the description probecome: more apparent as In the accompanying drawings forming part of this description:

F'lgQlirepreseiits a lnair- 1mg, 1 represents a diagram of the complete hydraulic Fig. 2 represents a front-elevation of the valve unit-persis a v rear elevation of the valve unit,

Fig. 4 represents a transverse section taken on line |-4 of 5, on an enlargedscale,

' Fig; 5 represents a section through the valve unit taken on line 5-5of Fig. 4,

or retracted and locked in retraction.

In actuation toward either extension or retrac- 1 improved, hydraulic system;

- ment, the wing Fig. 6 represents another section through the valve unit, taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 4,

Fig. 7 represents an ing plug for the system.

Fig. 8 represents an end elevation thereof,

Fig. 9 represents a side elevation of a valve for the system,

Fig. 10 represents Fig.

Fig. 11 represents a section on line ll-ll of a section onhne Ill-l0 of Fig. 12 represents a detailed fragmentary section taken on line |2l2 of Fig. 2, on a reduced scale.

Fig. 13 represents a schematic diagram of the compound valve associated with the respective motor agencies of the complete hydraulic system according to Fig. 1, showing the series free flow through the housing and the three valve units and all of the valve units in their closed position.

Fig. 14 represents a schematic diagram ofthe compound valve comprising a housing and three valve units, with one valve unit illustratively controlling the landing gear agency 'so turned as tocouple the free flow with an operating side of the agency, during which the return flow from the agency enters the longitudinal groove in the .unit and showing thedirection of flow from the housing to the landing gear" valve unit. Fig. 15 represents a schematic diagram of the compound valve comprising a housing and threevalve units with one valve unit illustratively operative relative to the tail wheel agency with the selected valve turned to couple the free flow circuit with the operating side of the agency, at the same time that the return circulation from the agency enters a longitudinal channel in the unit, and showing by arrows that the circulation of the free flow is from the center of the housing through and out of the'first valve unit, through the housing again and into the selected valve unit.

Fig. 16 represents a schematic diagram of the compound valve comprising a housing and three .valve units, with one valve unit illustratively coupled operatively with the wing flaps and showing by arrows that the circulation is from the housing through and out of the first valve unit and into the housing again, through and out of the second valve unit back into the housing again, and from'the housing into the third valve unit. As, in. the preferred illustrative embodiflaps" are spring pressed toward closing position and hydraulically pressed toward opening position, there is not indicated any return to this valve unit.

As the invention will be described it will be assumed to pertain to aircraft, but it is to be clearly understood that this is trative purposes and not for any purpose of limitation.

Mounted at some convenient point in the aircraft, such for instance as on the instrument panel, there will be plugged, casting or base It, having a central cylindrical bore ll, coupled permanently to the pump or power source 6, by tube 1, and having lateral apertures to be described. and being slightly spaced from the substantially tangential relation to a plurality of operating valve cylinders, which, purely for purposes of illustration, will be three in number, andnumbered respectively l2, II and I. In order to minimize wear in the valve cylinders, they are-each preferably provided with a steel liner sleeve or bushing Ii elevation of the distr'ibutwing flap, but has a shrunk into place, and the bores and conduits to be described pass through the composite walls of the cylinders and bushings.

Referring to Figs 1 and 13, let it be assumed that cylinder I2 is that which controls the election and retraction of a landing gear control mechanism I, cylinder l3 controls the election and retraction of a tail wheel, control mechanism 2, and cylinder l4 controls the ejection and permits the spring pressed retraction of wind flaps, control mechanism 3.

Each operating cylinder has an outwardly directed conduit respectively l6, l1 and I8, leading from the interior of the sleeve in the cylinder throughthe cast boss aligned therewith, respectively numbered 20, 2| and 22, and leading to the down side of the respective hydraulic agencies, and the connections are such that fluid'under pressure passing through any of the said conduits from within the cylinder communicating therewith secures the ejection of the appropriate agency.' Similarly each cylinder has 'an outwardly directed conduit, respectively numbered 23, 24 and 25, passing from within the respective cylinders through the respective aligned bosses 26, 21 and 28, each of which, except conduit 25, leads to the up? side of the respective hydraulically actuated agencies. As the wing flaps happen to be actuated in one direction only, the conduit 25 does not extend completely through the boss 28 to the hydraulic gear for the short circuiting connection directly with the oil or fluid reservoir I, to be described.

It is a feature facilitating the installation of the assembly in an aircraft, that therear faces of the respective bosses are bevelled or tapered as so as to provide a substantially plane surface upon which identifying data, such as T. W. dn. and L. G. up, etc. can be inscribed so that mechanics can couple the connections from the respective agencies directly to the appropriate bosses from the sides or rear and without refe erence to the front without delay or difliculty.

Within the central cylindrical bore ll there is shrunk and permanently anchored a bored and apertured plug 3|, held against movement or leakage by endwise engagement against the internal shoulder 32, and thegasket 33 and plug 34. The plug 3| has a substantially concentric axial bore 35 intersected by the lower or median transverse bore 36 leading to the relief valve passage 31 in the enlarged boss 38 of the main purely for illuse actual position, provided the apertured, bored,

casting. A transverse bore 40 toward the upper and i2, leading into the cylinder [2 toward the the words front or pp operator in mounted position, regardless of its while obviously rear" or down and the like mean the opposite side of the assembly. The-plug 2| has a plurality, and illustratively two, partially helical or spiral external grooves, respectively 42 and 43.

In view of the ders but two spiral extends substantially peripherally, so as to leave a space of approximately 120 having no roove, but only the transverse relief valve aperture or bore 36, previously described, It will be understood that the peripheral extent and numbers ofthe helical grooves will depend upon the front or upper end provision of three control cylingrooves are provided and -In each case however with the beginning of der l4. Thevalve system in filling same number of control cylinders to be associated in the assembly. Thus if but two operating cylin ders are used there'will be one groove for approximately one half the peripheral extent of the plug. On the other hand if four cylinders are used, there will be three such grooves, each extending peripherally for approximately 90. it is to be noted that the helical grooves are disposed so that their adjacent ends are in overlapping relation in a line longitudinally of the plug. Thus groove l2 begins at the lower end of theplug in spaced but substantial axial or longitudinal alignment with the lateral bore 40, communicating with the central bore of the plug, and ends toward the upper end of the plug in spaced the adjacent groove 43 toward the lower end of the plug.

Each operating cylinder is enlarged on each side beyond the sleeve or bushing l5. Toward the front it is enlarged as at 44 to receive a packing gland 45, through the center of which the shank of an oscillatory valve extends through for actuation by the Y the front of the assembly operator, through a suitable handle 86, 81 or I as later recited. Valve element 46 is disposed in the bushing of the landing gear control cylinder l2, valve element l1 in tail wheel cylinder l3, and valve element in wing flap cylinelements are held in place by the tubular plugs 49 in the rear enlargement. engaged by rear-cover plate I having the substantially central .hole 52 throughwhich the reduced end of the plug 3| extends to permit connection of a supply conduit for the intake of fluid under a low static head, as willbe described. The cover plate has the angularly divergent bow 53 axially boredwith a channel 84 and suitably plugged as to facilitate bleeding of air from the with fluid such as oil. The channel It leads to a channel 55 formed as a 4 single continuous or discontinuous groove in the face of the back plate in the enlarged substantially annular protuberance 59 of the plate 50, substantially concentric of theaxial opening I2. A second rearward boss communicating with the channel I! connected by a conduit 5 with reservoir 4. The channel it has a tail extension 58 extending over the boss II of the casting, and in communication with the channel or conduit 25 therein, by means of the longitudinal bore 60 in said boss 28. Although the channel 55 is shown as interrupted by cross these webs are in the tubular bores of the plugs 49, so that the channel, although in eifect dipping into such plugs, is continuous across the ends of all three control cylinders.

Each valve element in the respective operating or control cylinders which the control cally, and the shank is surrounded by the annular groove of recess it in the front or top end of the valve. The rear end of the valve has a plane face as at 64 at the periphery thereof, and'is axially centrally recessedas at '5. iiserles of longitudinal bores extend partially through the valve for lightness tively and preferably, extend longitudinally entirely through the element in communication with the respective annular recesses 83 and 05, h form balancing passages 61 to insure that in the event of any casual leakage about the valve ends, no pressure is built up. as, through the longitudinal alignment 5' has an aperture 51' substantial center of the has an-end surface I fromshank t2 emerges concentri-. I

assassin communication channels 01, the valve ends are in direct and continuous communication with the peripheral passage or channel It leading to the vented reservoir 4 which has no pressure other than the slight gravity head of the open reservoir. This minimizes the chances for dilllculties with the assembly as the pressures cannot build up in undesiredplaces. and especially is the pressure removed from the packing glands 4! surrounding the shanks 62, and the front of the assembly especially from danger of leakage, the assembly. This is the common practices of the past in which leakage along the shanks of the valves was almost inevitable, owing to the exposure thereof to the high pressures of the systems.

The valve elements have a tight fit at their ends in the cylindrical bushings, to leakage, and each has a pair of diametrically spaced longitudinally extending grooves, respectively it and III, on opposite sides of the element of a length substantially thesame as the longitudinal extent of grooves in the central nal channel 10 of each with a radial bore ll extending inwardly to communication with an axial bore 12 in the valve element, which in turn is in constant communication with the aperture in the annular plug 40 and with the common reservoir-leading annular channel 55. In' addition valve it has a transis therefore always free as indeed is the rest of in marked. contrast to plug I l The longitudiverse radial bore 69 leading from longitudinal at 14 and 15.

I! to receive mounted in the large containing th ball in the conducting channel II,

groove into the central axial bore 12.

Each valve element has a transversely extending divergent or v in th cylindrical periphery of the valve element The angle of the transverse or shunt passage 13 is preferably although obviously not necessarily substantially bisected by a dismetrlcal plane assing symmetrically through the laterally disposed longitudinally extending grooves or..pa'ssages and-JO. Each valve element has three arcuately spaced detent recesses and seat selectively the spring pressed pawl-or detent It in predetermined valve positioning as will be clear.

The relief valve previously mentioned as be of any desired construction, but preferably utilizes a ball It pushed toward a seat" by a plunger s2 resiliently pushing against the ball by a preloaded compression spring- I3, and the arrangement is such that when reaches that which is 'sufllcient to unseat the ball, the ball valve opens and then theassembly chatters or otherwise makes audibleindication of the existence of the predetermined condition of pressure for which it is set. A relief passage l] communicates with the enlarged chamber, ll, passage 31, and leads to the reservoir leading aswillbeclear.

In the operation of the invention it will first be assumed that each handles! the respective handles it, 81 and 83 of the respective valves has been turned to a position .of lock," which is intermediate the on and off, or "up"- and "down" indications with the pawls in the central detent recesses 19. Let it be assumed that a gear or.

minimise the respective partial helical 1 valve has communication shaped bore I3 having mouths bossaoftheassemblymsythe pressuree the valve through the landing gear to its it'is the work of but draulically 'valve 45 are as follows:

of the assembly by a supply line 8 extending from the reservoir 4.

As will be seen in Fig. 13, the circulating stream advances through the central axial bore 35, then laterally through the transverse port 40, through the registering port 4|, between the central cylinder and the first control cylinder I2, into the upper end of the 58 in the valve element 46, then downwardly in said groove to the lower end thereof, where it the lock" position, the longitudinal groove or external channel 68 thereof is in registering position with the respective upper port 4| and the lower port 38 extending between the cylinders II and I3. .As the upper end of the helical groove 42 terminates in the lateral port 4I, and the lower end of the helical groove 43 terminates in registration with the longitudinally aligned lateral port 39, the flowing fluid is guided through the spiral groov 42, through the longitudinal or vertical channel 58, through the spiral groove 43. As at this juncture also the third, wing flap valve element 48, is turned to the lock position, its longitudinal slot or channel 58 registers with upper port 4I at the end of the spiral groove 43, so that the flowing fluid passes downwardly 43, then inwardly through the previously noted radial bore 69 into the internal axial bore I2 of element, then outwardlylongitudinally of the valve element through recess 65 and reservoir leading channel 55 and through tube 5 tothe reservoir 4. It will be obvious that in the closed circuit thus traversed by the flowing fluid thereis no wear on or leakage'irom the parts, no head of pressure is developed and there are no appreciable power demands during the static functioning of the assembly. That the pressure is extremely low. during this phase of the functioning will be apparent, as will the advantages of such low pressure system.

Assume now that a landing is being contemplated and that preparations therefor will inelude serially the extension of its locking, then the and its locking, and

the landing gear,

l y. the actuation of the wing flaps and-their locking.

- The attention of the operator need only be di- Verted from his other duties for an instant while he swings the selected valve element 45- in cylindcr II by its handle 35, from .the position lock to the position "downJ the conduct of his other afl'airs until an audible or other signal indicates that the pressure has reached a point beyond'that necessary to extend utmost, pursuant to which another ment accorded at the discretion in due course, to return the valve element to the position "loch" and the landing gear will be bylocked against undesired collapseor As will be observed in Figs. 1. 13, and 14, the occurrences following upon the swinging of the the longitudinal slot 53 on one side that has outlet-44 from the pressure line and conveying fluid from its part or the low pressure system, is now moved arcuatelv away so as to be in conjuxtaposed longitudinal groove extension or the tail wheel :and thereafter resumes through the said channel 68 of the valve element, 7

the aperture in the plug and into the instant at a mobeen registering with the portions of the valve fronting relation only with the inner cylindrical surface of the cylinder I2, and synchronously the angular transverse shunt passage I3, which had opened only upon the closed inner surface of the sleeve I 5 of the cylinder I2, is brought to registering relation of mouth I3 with the intake of fluid pressure through oriflce 4i, and simultaneously theopposite mouth or orifice end 14 is moved into registration with the outlet passage I 6 leading to the down side of the landing gear actuating hydraulicgear, and the building up" of pressure in that line begins. It is worthy of note that simultaneously the longitudinal slot or channel I0 which had been juxtaposed to the inner surface of the cylinder I2, or the bushing I5 thereof, is moved about to registration with the up conduit 23, and acts as a leakaway or exhaust therei'rom through which fluid on'the inert side of the piston of the hydraulic gear is caused to move. As channel III has the radial bore II leading to the interior bore I2 in the valve element, and the latter leads to the reservoir, as will be clear, this part of the function will be readily understood. It will be clear that line comprising pump 6, tube I, plug 3i and latto an operating pressure which is quite adequate for the landing gear extension purpose, and as the relief valve is in the same line, the pressure ultimately reaches a point where the relief ball can be unseated to permit the excess pressure liquid to pass about the ball valve, through the relief by-pass 85, to the reservoir channel 55, tube 5, to reservoir 4. It will be understood that as soon as the landing gear has been extended to its utmost point, the operator may s g the valve element again to .lock" position, at which the valve parts will return to the positions previously held. As at this latter point the inner or cylinder ends of both the passage I5 and 23 will be closed by solid element, the hydraulic colbuilt up in line I 6 is still to preventany movement of the landing gear toward retraction. This may well enable the use of certain types of landing gears which have not been previously available, owing to the previous necessity for mechanically locking the gear in an extended position. Obviou'sly it makes no particular dlfierence what'sort of landing gear is used with the instant invention, and obviously also the hydraulic lock obtainable herewith is most positive. With the landing gear lockeddown, similar actuation of the extension and locking of the tail wheel, as will be clear from Figs. 1, 13, and 15.

umn that had been maintained solidly,

The final movement, of valve 48, to secure extension of the wing flaps will obviously be just like the others if the piston arrangement is two way under pressure as will be clear from Figs. 1, l3, and 15. The suggested form of one way piston, and the other way spring extension presents no additional proble as the only difference between this control and the others is the fact that, as noted, each of the longitudinal slots or grooves 53 and I0 has aradial transverse bore communicating with the central, return circuit reservoirleading channels. To return the flap to locked retracted position following extension it will be necessary merely to move the valve element 48 in the same manner as with the others, but with slightly diflerent coupling of passages. There is not a power driven upf position in the illustrative case and the only requirement for return is the normally low pressure valve element 41 will effect the that while the conduit 25 is coupled to the power outlet from the transverse by-pass 13 (the other end engaging the intake from the upper end of groove 43 in plug 3|), the exhaust or leakaway from power conduit [8 enters longitudinal channel 10 and through port II to aligned internal bore 12 thereof. The power build-up stops immediately the valve is swung, as channel 25 leads directly to the reservoir channel. This should be clear.

The advantages of the invention will be obvious. It is clear that it will be available for the control of a single agency, as well as a. plurality, and thatmany modifications may be made in the assembly without departing from the spirit of the invention, and all such are to be construed as within the scope thereof unless otherwise specitlcally limited in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In control valves, a housing having substantially parallel front and rear plates, a plurality of valve elements mounted oscillatably in the housing and disposed between the plates, the valve elements all being parallel to each other and disposed symmetrically about and parallel to a common axis generally normal to said plates, said housing having a bore extending concentrically of the common axis, each valve having a pair of spaced longitudinally extending grooves each par- ,allel to said axis and each having a transverse ported passage with the ends thereof disposed between the respective grooves, the axes of all of said passages lying in a common plane intersectthe reservoir a common axis generally normal to said last mentioned axial bore in the valve element to establish free flow through the valves in series.

2. In control valves, a housing having substantially parallel front and rear plates, a plurality of valve elements mounted oscillatably in the housing and disposed between the plates, the valve elements all being parallel to each other and disposed symmetrically about and parallel to said plates, said housing having a bore extending concentrically of the common axis, each valve having a pair of spaced longitudinally extending grooves each parallel to said axis and each having a transverse ported passage with the ends thereof disposed between the respective grooves, the axes of all of said passages lying in a common plane intersecting all of said grooves, a fluid tree stream ing all of said grooves, a fluid free stream passage being formed in said housing and valves comprising passages formed in said housing inclined relative to said common axis as well as to said plates establishing communication between the front plate ends of the grooves of a pair of valve elements respectively and the rear plate ends of the grooves of a second mentioned pair of valve elements, one valve element being common to both the first and second mentioned pairs of elements, said housing having a passage extend in: between said axial bore and an end of a groove oi. a valve of the first pair mentioned, one of said valve elements having an axial bore having a transverse port communicating with one of its grooves, conduit means communicating respectively with the axial bore in the housing and 50 passage being formed in said housing and valves comprising passages formed in said housing inclined relative to said common axis-as well as to said plates establishing communication between the front plate ends of the grooves of a pair of valve elements respectively and the rear plate ends of the grooves of a second mentioned pair of valve elements, one valve element being common to both the first and second mentioned pairs of elements, said housing having a passage extending between said axial bore and an end of a groove of a valve of the first pair mentioned, one of said valve elements having an axial bore having a transverse port communicating with one of its grooves, conduit means communicating respectively with the axial bore in the housing and said last mentioned axial bore in the valve element to establish free flow through the valves in series, said housing having pressure supp y outlet ports for each valve element normally closed by said element and having an axis lying substantially in said common plane, and each valve being so arranged that upon oscillation to an adjusted position the transverse ported passage thereof will replace the groove initially communicating with said inclined housing passage to engage one CARL DE GANAHL. 

